Students leading the mental health conversation with Bell Let’s Talk

Jan 09, 2019

In the lead up to Bell Let’s Talk Day on January 30, university and college students in every province and territory are promoting campus mental health programs with guest speakers, conferences, information kiosks, and varsity and collegiate athletic events. More than 340 events at 205 schools will invite students to be part of the world’s biggest mental health conversation while learning more about resources available to them on campus.

Now reaching a national post-secondary student population of 1.6 million, the Bell Let’s Talk campus campaign has been encouraging student-led mental health conversations since it began in 2016 as a student-athlete initiative at 11 Atlantic Canada universities. The program grew to 100 varsity games at 53 universities in 2017, and last year expanded into the broader campus community with a broad range of events at 128 universities and colleges.

“With more than 200 universities and colleges part of the campaign this year, it’s clear that post-secondary students in Canada have taken a real leadership role in the mental health conversation,” said Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell Let’s Talk. “These hundreds of student-led initiatives are growing awareness of both the impact of mental illness and the resources students can turn to for support, helping to ensure a psychologically healthy and safe environment on campus.”

According to Canada’s most recent National College Health Assessment Survey in 2016, 32% of students were diagnosed or treated for anxiety or depression in the previous year. In January 2018, Bell Let’s Talk and The Rossy Foundation announced a joint $1,000,000 donation to create a national standard for post-secondary student mental health. Led by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, the project will establish mental health best practices at Canadian campuses to support student success.

On January 30, Bell will donate 5 cents to Canadian mental health programs for each of the following interactions, at no extra cost to participants beyond what they would normally pay their service provider for online or phone access:

Talk: Every mobile and every long distance call made by Bell wireless and phone customers

Text: Every text message sent by Bell wireless customers

Twitter: Every tweet and retweet using #BellLetsTalk, featuring the special Bell Let’s Talk emoji, and every Bell Let’s Talk Day video view at Twitter.com/Bell_LetsTalk

Facebook: Every Bell Let’s Talk Day video view at Facebook.com/BellLetsTalk and every use of the Bell Let’s Talk frame

Instagram: Every Bell Let’s Talk Day video view at Instagram.com/Bell_letstalk

Snapchat: Every use of the Bell Let’s Talk filter and every Bell Let’s Talk Day video view

Total Bell Let’s Talk Day interactions since the first event in 2011 stand at 867,449,649 and are expected to exceed 1 billion on January 30. Bell’s funding commitment for mental health, including the company’s donations based on Bell Let’s Talk engagement and its original $50- million donation to launch the initiative, is now $93,423,628.80 and expected to surpass $100 million on January 30.

About Bell Let’s Talk

The Bell Let’s Talk mental health initiative is focused on 4 key action pillars: Anti-stigma, Care and Access, Research and Workplace Leadership. Since its launch in September 2010, Bell 3/3

Let’s Talk has partnered with more than 900 organizations providing mental health services throughout Canada, including major donations to hospitals, universities and other care and research organizations.